The largely anticipated 2018 Minnesota Fishing Opener is this coming Saturday, May 12th! With most of the Ely area lakes being just recently Ice Free, the conditions for Walleye should be ideal!
Fall Lake lost its Ice on Friday, May 4th. Since then, the Perch bite has been hot! Water temps are in the mid to upper 40’s. We have seen many jumbo Perch caught right in our bay here at Packsack. The last two days the crappie have started to settle in and I expect that will only get better. This coming Saturday, my guess is the Power Dam will be the place to be for Walleye. Arrive early to get a good spot, and wear your “patience pants” as the area may be crowed. Jig and minnow, or lindy rig and a minnow would be my bait of choice for this opening weekend, but leaches might work in areas of warmer water.
Reports have come in from Basswood stating that the Walleye are spawning at Pipestone Falls. The Minnesota DNR has closed off fishing from the falls to Caribou Point on Pipestone Bay until the spawn is done. Anglers fishing this area should keep their eyes open for the posted signs and be aware that fishing for Walleye in that area is prohibited. There are still plenty of great spots to catch Walleye on Pipestone and Jackfish, spread out and have fun!
The northern pike are either spawning or just coming off the spawn. Concentrate on shallow areas where warmer water is entering the lake via rivers or drainage to find them. For bait, large dead or live minnows rigged with a harness under a bobber work well, or large minnows on a jig can be deadly too.
The forecast is calling for some beautiful warm weather in the Ely area for this weekend. I hope you can all get out and enjoy some fishing and comrade with friends and family!
Good Luck, and don’t horse em!